LABOUR'S Lorna Fitzsimons has spoken about the devastating blow of losing her Rochdale seat.

She has been the town's MP since 1997 but was beaten by Lib Dem Paul Rowen by just 442 votes.

She has vowed to carry on campaigning for local people but insisted it was too early to say what the future would hold for her political career.

She said: "There's still a job of work to be done.

"I will continue to play a large role in promoting the needs of the community. But crystal balls are not for days like these."

Ms Fitzsimons, who grew up in Rochdale, joined the Labour party at 18.

She was president of the National Union of Students from 1992 to 1994 and became a lobbyist before she beat the Lib Dems to take her home town's parliamentary seat at the age of 28.

She was one of a number of young women MPs in the 1997 New Labour government, described at the time in the press as "Blair's babes".

She said she was extremely proud of what she had achieved for Rochdale and felt the town needed a Labour MP to be able to influence the government on behalf of local people.

She said: "At the end of the day, as a politician you have to respect democracy. I entered politics because I wanted to create a fairer world. I believed in a sense of justice. I am proud to have, for the past eight years, represented the town in which I was born and bred and in which I have brought up my family."

She cited achievements during her time as MP as the opening of Rochdale Infirmary, improvements in health and reductions in unemployment.

She has also helped build links between communities and has campaigned on big issues such as the Metrolink.

Labour MP Keith Bradley has vowed to revive his embattled political career despite his surprise rejection at the polls.

The 54-year-old former government minister saw his 11,524 majority overturned to lose the Manchester Withington seat to the Liberal Democrats by 667 votes.

But Mr Bradley believes he still has much to offer locally and nationally.

"Life goes on and I am now looking to the future with my family," he said. "I'm sure that I will find some role in local politics to try to ensure that what I believe a Labour government can deliver the local people continues. I think it's very early to determine how I'm going to spend the rest of my life."